Clean Elections San Diego
Update
4/14/23
“If anyone should own our politicians, it should be we, the people”
— Bill Moyers – American Journalist
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Hi Everyone,
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Our main thrust at the moment is that we are still reviewing the language of our initiative. It is slow work but we want to make sure that we have it right.
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If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact John Hartley at 619-299-8870. Our web page is: CleanElectionsSanDiego.org where you can read a little about our history, our endorsements ,our news updates and a video that I encourage you to check out, entitled “The Road to Clean Elections.” This 7.5 minute DVD was written and narrated by Bill Moyers, the journalist, and it covers the impact of clean elections on Arizona and Maine. These states have had clean elections since 2000.
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Our goal continues to put clean elections on the 2024 ballot and then to win the 2024 campaign! But if you would like to help out today, we suggest that you check out our web page, watch the video again and invite a friend to look at clean elections by having he or she, watch the video. And then send me their contact information so we can keep them updated on our campaign.
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Lastly, I invite you to join me over coffee, especially if you have any questions or suggestions, on Saturday, April 22 at 10 AM at Le Stats coffee house, 4496 Park Blvd, two blocks north of El Cajon Blvd.
Below is a piece written by Mark Linsky. Mark is our campaign chair. a professor at San Diego’s Community College and my colleague, in the clean elections campaign.
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A few months back I wrote a commentary for the Times of San Diego about the need for clean elections
in our town. I pointed out what the real cost of ‘politics as usual’ has been for
America’s Finest City. Any objective observer—regardless of party affiliation—has to be concerned
with the long list of bad deals which have enriched the downtown interests while short changing the
citizens who expect their elected officials to act wisely on their behalf. The Ash St. debacle is only the
latest and most costly example of this.
So how does this involve the push for clean elections? The short answer is unless private money is removed from the electoral equation, candidates will continue to be beholden to the money which helped put them
in office. This system will not go away. But it can be offset by candidates who accept only
public funds and therefore are immune to the pressures and arm twisting of individuals and groups
who expect a return on their investment. In a democracy, the people are supposed to rule.
And it is high time for a clean elections initiative which will make that a reality for the citizens
of San Diego
— Mark Linsky